Essential reading for any online business; this whitepaper offers helpful hints for establishing comprehensive duty of care procedures.

1. Duty of Care Online
White Paper
bwired Group Pty Ltd
348 High St Prahran, Victoria 3181
T 03 9510 5255
F 03 9510 5266
bwired.com.au
Experience. Capability. Technology

2. White Paper Open Source vs. Closed Source (Proprietary) Software
Table of Contents
Statement 03
Introduction 04
Privacy 05
Legally Binding T’s & C’s 06
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3. White Paper Open Source vs. Closed Source (Proprietary) Software
“You owe yourself and your
customers a duty of care online
and therefore must protect your
organisation with an adequate
privacy policy and legally
binding terms and conditions”.
Sam Saltis – CEO Bwired Group
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4. White Paper Open Source vs. Closed Source (Proprietary) Software
Introduction
Essential reading for any online business; this whitepaper offers helpful hints for establishing
comprehensive duty of care procedures.
When setting up an online business, it is important to consider the legal aspects required. Most
importantly:
• An adequate privacy policy
• Legally binding terms and conditions
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5. White Paper Open Source vs. Closed Source (Proprietary) Software
1
Privacy
Privacy is a common concern among many online. Any website through which users
engage, interact or transact have a responsibility to adopt and implement a
comprehensive privacy policy.
A privacy policy must include:
• Choice and consent - individuals must be given the opportunity to exercise
choice regarding collection, use and distribution of personal information
• What personal information is being collected - Collection and transactions
should always be done in a secured (https) environment, and the database
protected by adequate technology.
• Use of personal information – The purposes for which you are collecting
personal information.
• Disclosure of personal information – Whether or not you will be disclosing
collected information with third parties.
• Storage and security of personal information - Making your customers aware
of the security of your website will always offer added reassurance. Signage such
as "you have now entered a secure area" is encouraged.
• In addition, the policy must be easy to find, read and understand; and be made
available prior to or at the time that personal information is collected or
requested. We recommend establishing a respective page on your website,
linking to it from every page and abiding by it.
For more information on guidelines for online privacy policies, visit
www.privacyalliance.org.au.
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6. White Paper Open Source vs. Closed Source (Proprietary) Software
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Legally Binding T’s & C’s
In the context of website usage, the potentially million dollar question is “are your terms
and conditions enforceable?”.
Not sure? Read on.
For protection from legal action, all online businesses must incorporate a website
disclaimer.
A website disclaimer should protect both the organisation and the consumer and should
include reference to:
• Accuracy of information – waive liability for accuracy, timeliness, suitability
• Risk and responsibility – waive liability for responsibility to ensure
information/products/services meet specific requirements.
• Copyright infringements – prohibition of reproduction of content, design,
graphics, layout and appearance
• Unauthorised use – may result in damages and/or criminal action, subject to the
Australian court of law
Again, we recommend establishing a respective page on your website, linking to it from
every page and abiding by it.
In the context of online transactions, terms and conditions must be clearly visible prior to
or at the same time that the transaction takes place. It is not enough to have these terms
and conditions listed – this does not qualify as acceptance and will not be enforced. The
user must agree to comply with the terms and conditions before a legal agreement is
formed. To do so, organisations must create either a “click-wrap system”, or a “browse-
wrap system”.
A “click-wrap system” requires the user to scroll through the terms and conditions before
accepting them.
A “browse-wrap system” refers the user to the terms and conditions by way of a hyperlink,
but does not require the user to click on the link before accepting.
Regardless of the system chosen, to maximise the ability to enforce terms and conditions,
it is recommended that they be:
• Clearly visible, easily read and accessed
• Printable
• Accepted before use of the website or performance of the relevant act
• Explicit
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7. White Paper Open Source vs. Closed Source (Proprietary) Software
For more information on guidelines for terms and conditions, visit
http://www.nortonrose.com
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